— June 15-16, August 10-11, August 17 —
Delhi is known as the heart of India – it’s the place where you can get food from all the different states of India. The city has been referred to as the melting pot of Indian cultures.
Today, Delhi is a symbol of religious harmony. I visited a Sikh temple and a mosque, but many religions are represented here!
Delhi is infamous for its consistently >100º summer heat, air pollution, and crowdedness, but I was amazed by its vast history and rich, diverse culture. Shahab ud Din Ghori of the Ghurid Empire laid the foundation of Muslim rule in India, ruling from 1173-1206. Delhi is one of the longest-serving capitals and one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It is said that Delhi was the site for seven different cities between 3000 BC and the 17th century BC. The 7th city was Shahjahanabad, built by Shah Jahan in the first half of the 17th c., which became the capital of the Mughals and is today known as Purani Dilli (Old Delhi). In 1803, Delhi was captured by the British East India Company. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 marked the beginning of direct British rule in India. When the British took over, they renamed the area Old Delhi and built what is today the New Delhi area. In 1911 the capital of British India shifted from Calcutta to New Delhi, which became the capital of free India in 1947.
We walked through Chandni Chowk (Moonlight Square), one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi built by Shah Jahan, who also built the famous Taj Mahal in Agra. The period of his reign was considered the golden age of Mughal architecture; the empire reached its pinnacle glory during his reign. He had a policy of religious tolerance, while the ruler after him, Aurangzeb, adopted religious persecution.
I spent my first and last weekend and last day in Delhi, which is about a 40-minute drive away from Gurgaon. An Uber was 280 rupees (about $4!) – cheap Uber rides is one thing I’ll miss back in the U.S.
There’s so much to do in Delhi — culture, history, food, music, parks — they’ve got it all. Along with the more touristy places, we also experienced some of the local scenery, though I would say there wasn’t really a distinction, as even the “touristy” places were filled with locals. There were just a lot of people.
The first historical sight I saw in Delhi was Qutab Minar, the tallest stone tower in India at 238 ft and 379 steps to the top. Made of marble and sandstone, it was built in 1793 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom, as a tower of victory.
Indian nationals only had to pay like 25 rupees, but they charge foreigners 650. I made my first rookie mistake — I forgot to pick up my change and had to go back and get it. Turns out the bastard had just left my change on his side of the ticket counter window!
The National Museum took us through the history of the many empires. What I remember was that there were too many names to remember. I recall that the Gupta Empire was the Golden Age of India, and that Fuxi nuwa were two warriors in a Chinese story who were said to be the first two humans on earth.
When we called a rickshaw to drive us down the street to the India Gate because we didn’t want to walk in the heat, we were picked up by a friendly rickshaw driver with a “pay what you want” policy who ended up giving us the experience of a mini-tour. He seemed honest, though I would soon find that a lot of rickshaw drivers offer to take you around and be your chauffeur for the day. He definitely had connections — he recommended a specific restaurant for lunch (where we shared butter chicken and Kerala chicken with garlic naan and sweet lassi), and later took us to a certain shop, where I bought a shawl for probably too much, even after bargaining (but it was 80% cashmere 20% silk, so supposedly high quality!). Outside the restaurant there was a guy playing with a snake and blowing a recorder looking instrument that produced a strange, high-pitched sound.
He offered to take us to a free temple, so we went to the Sikh temple where he worships every single day, and that was worth it. We removed our shoes and socks, then walked on the carpet (the white marble tiles burn your feet under the hot sun!). He first led us through a huge kitchen where volunteers were peeling potatoes and stirring curry—they serve 100,000 meals a day! And all the food comes from donations. It was very toasty outside, but in here it felt like we were roasting in a giant cook stove. It was pretty incredible though – they were stirring these gigantic pots of lentils and stews, and machines were constantly churning out round pieces of naan and roti. People ate in a large hall sitting on a laid out carpet.
We then went up to the temple, a large room where men, women, and children would worship in front of an altar sort of thing as three men sang songs. The walls were decorated with brilliant gold, and a bright white chandelier hung from the ceiling over a covered holy book in the middle of the room. After worship, they would drink some holy water (which apparently cures all your diseases) and bathe in a much larger pool of holy water. On the way out, everyone was given a scoop of rice pudding. It was quite amazing getting a mini-tour of a local temple, and they don’t ask for money (unlike a lot of other temples I would visit), which I appreciated.
At the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum, Gandhi’s house-turned museum, I learned about the former Prime Minister of India.
It had actually rained a little and was gusty in the morning, a first since I got here. But that also made it more humid and muggy; I got so sticky and sweaty my linen shirt felt like it was soaked. Hot and dry, or cooler but humid—pick your poison.
We went to the Lodhi Garden, a historical garden housing the tombs of the Sayyid dynasty (1414-1451) and Lodhi dynasty rulers (1451-1526). We saw the tomb of Sikandar Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi (ruler of the Lodi dynasty) from 1489-1517, and climbed up the wall for a view of the canopy of trees. We saw the Bada Gumbad mosque and Sheesh Gumbad (glass dome) mosque—historians say its tomb is of the first Lodi sultan Bahlol Lodi. We saw the tomb of Muhammed Shah, the third leader of the Sayyid dynasty. I found it pretty amazing that a public park, where couples, families, old people, and stray dogs now hang out, has so much history going back centuries within it.
The park was a perfect change of green from the bustling concrete city, and had a jungle-y feel with all the trees. There were colored trees with yellow and magenta flowers, trees where the roots grew up the trunk all the way to the leaves of the tree, and large bamboo trees.
I experienced the bustling Delhi street markets at the Spice Market.
Would also highly recommend a mango Kulfi – ice cream within a mango! It was delicious and a must-have if you’re ever in India. I also tried jamun – an iced black plum thing, which was slightly bitter and juicy but alright.
The weekend after my final presentation, I had time to see Humayun’s Tomb, a World Heritage Site where the second Mughal emperor Humayun was buried. Built by Humayun’s wife, Hamida Banu Begum, it is considered a symbol of Mughal architecture and is the earliest example of Persian influence in Indian architecture. I took my time, admiring its enormity on the outside and its symmetric perfection, then going inside and seeing the work in more detail, and then zooming out again and being in awe of its grand structure.
We went to the National Gandhi Museum because I am now a Gandhi fan, though I soon learned about the controversy over Gandhi — how people have turned his name into a PR stunt. For example, Indira Gandhi changed her last name from Gandy to Gandhi. Also, pretty much everything is named after him, but there were other leaders who contributed to India’s independence too! And Gandhi wasn’t perfect – he did some bad things, and he was racist, too. I read that he basically caused his wife’s death by not allowing her to receive penicillin when she was ill. Still, Gandhi was a pretty incredible leader, with a vision of Pooma Swaraj — complete independence by truthful and non-violent means. The museum took us chronologically through the main phases of his career, capturing photographs and quotes. There was the satyagraha 1893-1914, or Passive Resistance, when Gandhi led the opposition to a law requiring Indians to carry a certificate of registration. Finally, the Indian Relief Bill 1914 satisfied the major grievances.
Hauz Khas Village is a nice, must-visit neighborhood known for their bars and social life, where a lot of young people come to hang out. Deer Park had lots of deer, though I felt bad as they are fenced in in an area that’s all dirt and no grass, and what do they do all day? There was also a fort of old ruins but I didn’t want to pay 300 rupees so we just saw it from the outside and walked around Deer Park Lake, which was quite beautiful. There was also a little playground where they have the fun old lady exercise equipment! Also saw a peacock and some monkeys as the sun set.
On my last day in India, I did a tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan, official home of the President of India and the largest residence of a head of state in the world. You have to register online but it only costs 100 rupees for Circuits 1 and 2.
Circuit 1 included the presidential palace and official residence (which wasn’t originally built for the President of India; it was built starting in 1913 for British officers). The main building encompasses 5 acres and has 340 rooms including reception halls, guest rooms, and offices – it is a vast mansion! Made of red sandstone and white marble, it was designed by leading British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who really liked geometric shapes, especially circles. He was responsible for much of the architectural design during the British Era, also contributing to the development of New Delhi 1912-31.
The building is H-shaped — we weren’t allowed to see the 4 wings, only the middle H line with the ceremonial halls. We also weren’t allowed to bring our phones, which frankly was probably better, so people didn’t crowd around trying to take pictures and we could focus on actually looking around. I remember Durbar Hall, where ceremonies are still held today – there was a 2-ton chandelier, and we were standing at the same height as the India Gate (the palace is on top of a hill). I also remember being in awe of the ballroom, which was quite elaborate and grand with paintings on the ceiling and red carpets. There was also a large room holding the elaborate gifts the president has received, from large embroidered carpets to statues. We learned that when the Indian flag is raised (or at night, when there’s red light), it means that the president is in Delhi!
Circuit 2 was a museum complex set up in what used to be the stables (which housed the horses and ceremonial coaches) and garage (which contained furniture, a presidential gifts collection, and a collection of arms, among other things. I saw a portrait of the Marquess of Wellesley – the Governor General of India!) There was also a clock tower.
The museum had a place where you could take a picture and they would project your image onto a background of a horse carriage so it looks like you’re sitting in the carriage. There was a hall with the sound of birds chirping and monkey replicas on tree replicas where you could walk through and pretend you were in the Mughal Gardens. Indians can get really creative with visual props!
I liked Delhi a lot – there’s a lot of greenery, and so much history, and so many different things to do, and good food. I liked the young, modern vibe. There’s always something going on, something to do. It is a mix of various Indian cultures, yet maintains its own unique culture. If not for the heat and pollution and clogged streets, I think I would really like it here.
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